Kevin McKidd on leaving Grey’s Anatomy, Owen Hunt

Earlier today, the shocking news was first announced that Kevin McKidd will be leaving Grey’s Anatomy at the end of season 22, forcing us all to say goodbye to a landmark character in Dr. Owen Hunt. This is someone who has been around for the past 18 years, more than just about any cast member who is not Ellen Pompeo, James Pickens Jr., or Chandra Wilson.

Has Owen done things that frustrate viewers plenty of times over the years? Absolutely. He’s a complicated character but McKidd’s performance is one of the reasons why we have felt so many emotions over the years. He’s been nothing short of stellar, delivering just about every emotion under the sun.

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In a new, lengthy post on Instagram, here is some of how McKidd paid tribute to both this character and his work:

18 seasons. 18 years.

That’s a fair stretch of a man’s life.

I came over just hoping to get a shot… and somehow found a home. A family. A place that’s shaped me more than I probably realise yet.

Playing Owen Hunt has been one of the great privileges of my career, in front of the camera and behind it.
I’m deeply grateful to [Shonda Rhimes] for trusting me with him.

Long before any of this, I was just a young actor from Scotland, grafting. Wondering if it was ever going to happen. Taking the knocks, the rejections… all of it.

If you’re in that place right now, keep going.

You never quite know where it’s leading. The work you’re putting in, quietly, when no one’s watching… it does count.

So this is a goodbye… for now…

There is still a chance that McKidd could return as an actor or director, but he mentions later in the post that he is looking forward to being a part of new projects and testing himself in many ways. He did have a career on television long before Grey’s Anatomy, and there is certainly a great chance he will have one long after the fact.

Related – Be sure to get some more news entering the next Grey’s Anatomy episode

Are you still shocked that Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver are leaving Grey’s Anatomy?

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